


Baby Come Home

by MutantRiot



Category: X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-11-05 08:04:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11009325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MutantRiot/pseuds/MutantRiot
Summary: Charles Xavier is a mess. Erik left, and now he's broken down again. How could Erik go, after all they've been through?





	Baby Come Home

**Author's Note:**

> So this is just a little fic I wrote based on the song "Baby Come Home" by Bush. I hope you like it! ^-^

Charles sat with his back pressed against the cold shower. The tiles were like smooth ice on his bare skin. His hot tears contrasted with the frigid water that poured on his head.  
The bathroom was pale and bleak from the winter light streaming in from the skylight. He turned off the water and pulled his knees to his chest. His veins stood blue against his skin and his scars and purple-red. Each crisscrossed his body, veins like spider webs and scars like bars. 

Standing slowly, Charles felt an involuntary shiver run through him. Then the tears began to fall again... Bracing himself against the grey granite counter, he let the sobs take him over, his body shaking. He was alone, completely alone. The house was empty, his bed was empty, his life was empty. God, he was empty too. 

He pulled on his holey, old jeans and fraying red plaid flannel. Looking in the mirror, Charles hated what and who he saw. His once well-kept appearance had faded. His dark hair was long and tangled, and he’d cut up his face while shaving carelessly. His blue eyes were bloodshot and red-rimmed, and he bit his lip to avoid punching the mirror. 

In an attempt to comb the mess his hair had become, the comb broke against a knot, which was rather painful.  
“Goddammit,” he growled, as the half clattered to the floor. “This has just got to go!” Angrily he sorted through the cabinets till he found the trimmer Raven had used to shave her head in 11th grade and turned it on. It worked, to his surprise. He ran in over his head, and soon long strands of hair began to litter the floor. 

Several minutes later, Charles looked back in the mirror, his eyes were wide, watery blue spheres. His hair was now an uneven buzz, and it made him look like a prisoner of war.  
“Oh God,” he whispered, running his hands over his head. “Oh my god.” 

Sighing heavily, Charles walked out of the bathroom and down into the kitchen. The house seemed like a shell, and he felt like a ghost. Playing with his new hair (or lack thereof), he opened the icebox to find it empty, with the exception of two of Erik’s old beers. Slamming the door shut, he felt his heart simultaneously skip a beat and break even further. 

Charles rifled through the cabinets, tossing long expired food into the garbage. He found a dented, yet otherwise all right can of chicken soup, and not caring about heating it up, he opened it and drank straight from the can. A real gourmet meal... I wish Erik was here, he can cook so well...

Collapsing onto the couch, he grabbed his phone and saw he had a couple texts and a missed call. None from Erik, but two texts from Raven, one from Hank, and a missed call accompanied by a voicemail from his mother.  
Hey big brother, you doing okay?  
-delivered Tuesday, 7:39 pm

“Charlessssssss, please respond...”  
-delivered 59 minutes ago

I’m fine, Raven. He typed back quickly. He’d answer Hank’s later; it wasn’t time sensitive. Charles grimaced and opened the voicemail from “Mum/Sharon Xavier.”  
“Charles, I heard from Raven you and that man have finally broken up. I can’t say I’m surprised. Homosexual relationships never last and...” At that point, he turned off his phone and shouted to the empty house,  
“Erik, come home, damn it!” He felt tears well in his eyes again, and he dug his ragged nails into his forearms; they were sharp enough in some places to break the skin and draw up blood. Charles curled up in the couch and cried until he couldn’t breathe. Tears poured down his scarlet cheeks and blood bubbled up from the new wounds on his already scarred arms.

His phone buzzed, and Charles tried to ignore it, but it persisted to every two minutes until he picked it up.  
Charles.  
Charles!  
Big brother!  
Pick up, you dickhead.  
What?  
I’m on my way with Hank. We have Chinese, prepare yourself.  
Raven, I’m really not up for company...  
Too bad, we’re here.  
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Charles muttered as he heard Raven and Hank enter the house.  
“Charles, we’re home,” Raven called. “We brought you orange chicken.”  
“Coming.” He headed into the kitchen.

Raven’s jaw dropped when she saw him. Hank seemed shocked, but he wasn’t to the point of dropping his things as Raven had done with her purse.  
“What the actual fuck did you do?” She cried, looking him over.  
“Um, just cut my hair a bit,” he replied, feeling over his head.  
“A bit? A BIT! Charles, you look awful!”  
“Thanks.”  
“Why don’t we get some food, and then you can tell us what’s going on, Charles,” Hank said logically, getting out some plates from the cabinet and opening the takeout boxes.  
“All right,” he nodded, helping Hank dish out the food. 

Soon the three of them were sitting in the living room, Raven and Hank on the couch where he had been crying, and Charles on the loveseat across from them.  
“So, why’d you shave your head?” Raven asked, picking up a shrimp with her chopsticks.  
“I was angry. Plus my hair kept getting all knotty and in my way.”  
“Have you been eating enough? You look...gaunt.”  
“Probably not. Charles shrugged. “I haven’t had much of an appetite.”  
“Charles, you have to take care of yourself. You can’t let yourself go, even if Erik did.”  
“Raven...” Hank cautioned, squeezing her hand.  
“Hank! Don’t let him think this is okay!”  
“Raven, just stop,” Charles snapped. “Just because you would have gotten over him by now doesn’t mean I have! I love Erik, more than life itself, and he left. Imagine what would happen if Hank walked away from you! How can your expect me to go about daily life normally?”  
“You don’t need him!”  
“I do! I love him; he is my soul mate. I just know it.”  
“True love wouldn’t just run away and let you lie here broken-hearted.”  
“Raven, that’s enough,” Hank said firmly. “Charles, we’re just worried about you. You haven’t left the house since Erik went away, and all you’ve wanted is to be alone. We’re worried because we care about you, but don’t know how to help you.”  
“Thank you, really. I just...don’t know how to live without him.” The word caught in his throat, and he began to cry again. Not wanting them to see, he dropped his head into his hands and hid behind them.  
“Oh Charles,” Raven said, sliding next to him. “I’m so sorry, I was too harsh. If Erik ever shows his face around here again, I’ll kill him.”  
“I’ll do that myself, but thank you,” he sniffed, wiping his eyes. “I truly appreciate the both of you being here for me. Thank you.”  
“We’ll always be here, no matter what,” Hank said, smiling at him.  
“Always, big brother,” Raven added.  
“Have either of you heard from him since he’s been gone?”  
Raven stared daggers at Hank who sighed heavily and said,  
“Yes, but I’m still on your side, I promise.”  
“Where is he?”  
“As of an hour ago, he was at that seedy bar on Chelsea. But we’re not going there, man. You’re too upset right now.”  
“We don’t have to go, but I am!” Charles said defiantly, getting up and looking around for his keys.  
“Charles, please sit down! Don’t go after him, it’s only looking for trouble!” Raven called after him as he franticly searched through drawers.  
“How about I call him? I know he’ll answer if it’s me, and I’ll hand you the phone once I establish he’s around. How about that?”  
“Okay...” Charles said, feeling all the energy from the rage transform into anxiety and sadness as he sunk into the couch.  
“Hank, do you really think this is a good idea?” Hank protested to her boyfriend.  
“It’s better than going to the bar...”  
“Please call him.” Charles pulled his knees to his chest and hugged them tightly.  
“Okay,” Hank said, nodding and dialling Erik’s number. He put it on speakerphone, and the rings sounded through the empty house. Finally on the last one, he picked up and spoke with his forceful voice,  
“Hank? What’s up?” Erik.  
“Erik, hey! Just wanted to check up on you. How’s it going?”  
“I’m coping, you know.”  
“Hold a sec, someone wants to talk to you.”  
“What?”  
“Hello, Erik,” Charles said softly.  
“Charles?” Erik’s voice sounded strained and confused.  
“Uh huh.”  
“Look, I have to go.”  
“Don’t you go. We need to talk.”  
“Charles, I can’t.”  
“You’re going to have to eventually, so why not be a man and do it now?”  
“As you wish. I don’t want to do this over the phone. Are you home?”  
“Yes.”  
“I’m on my way...” Erik sighed heavily.  
“Alright, good. Bye,” Charles said, hanging up the phone. He raised his gaze to Raven and Hank, giving them a pained smile, handing Hank back his phone.  
“We can go, Charles, if you’d like,” Hank said.  
“It’s alright. I’ll take him upstairs,” he replied, standing then pacing back and forth, waiting.  
“Big brother, are you sure you’re going to be okay?”  
“No, but I have to do this. I need him, dear. I’m going to this straight.”  
Right then, the doorbell rang, and Charles jumped. Catching his breath, he quickly strode to the door and opened it. There, in front of him, stood Erik. With his stupid turtleneck sweater and scuffed up boots, his Erik.  
“C-c-come in,” he stuttered, opening the door wider.  
“Hello, Charles,” Erik replied, stepping inside and averting his eyes.  
“Hi...”  
“Where do you, erm, want to talk?”  
“Upstairs, our room.”  
The walk upstairs was silent. Erik tread behind Charles, looking at the fraying ends of his flannel, wondering why Charles kept such a gross old thing. After they entered the room, Charles shut the door and turned to Erik. His eyes glimmered with tears as he spoke.  
“Erik...” He whispered, sinking next to him on the bed.  
“Look, liebling, you don’t understand.”  
“What don’t I understand, dammit?  
“I love you too much to let you stay with me. You deserve so much better...”  
“You abandoned me! How could you?”  
“I had to protect you, Charles. I’m a bad person. I’d be a bad husband and a terrible father, if that ever came around. You don’t understand what I’ve done... I don’t deserve you, I never have!”  
“Shut up, shut up, Erik!” Charles hissed, taking Erik’s hand in his. “Just stop talking for a moment. I’ve been inside your mind. I know exactly what you’ve done. I forgive you, and I need you to forgive yourself. I love you, everything you are, Erik Lehnsherr. You have your flaws, yes, but that’s what makes you so real! And even after all of this, I still love you. Please, for the love of all things I cherish, come home. We will work this out.”  
Erik was silent, but when Charles looked closer, he realised that he was crying. He’d never seen Erik shed so much as a tear, but now streams ran down his face, dripping onto his grey slacks.  
“I forgive you, darling. Just stay...” Charles pleaded, wrapping his arms around Erik and laying his head on his shoulder.  
“I’m so sorry for everything...” Erik said quietly, pulling Charles close and kissing his shaved head. “Ich liebe dich.”  
“I love you too, Erik. I may be quite cross with you, but there nothing you could do to stop my loving you.”  
“You have every right to be angry, Charles. I was an absolute idiot, and I am so sorry.”  
“I accept your apology, mister. However, I will require reparations.”  
“Anything.”  
Charles wrapped his legs around Erik’s side, kissed his cheek, and whispered something in his ear that made Erik turn bright red.  
“Every Tuesday?”  
“Every Tuesday,” Charles giggled with a wink.  
“So you’ll take me back?”  
“Of course, dear,” he replied, wiping the tears from Erik’s face.  
“Oh God, Charles, thank you. Thank you so much,” Erik pulled Charles into his lap and kissed him deeply. Charles lightly bit Erik’s lip like he liked and pulled away, blowing him another kiss.  
“Never do it again, or I’ll sic Raven on you.”  
“Cruel.”  
“Ich liebe dich,” Charles said, playfully poking Erik’s nose. “Now we have to go tell Hank and Raven.”  
“Are they here?”  
“Downstairs.”  
“Okay,” he said with a sigh. But when he looked up, Charles was grinning and blushing like a schoolboy with a crush. It was that look which reminded him just why he fell head over heels for this man. Everything about him, even the flaws, was perfectly imperfect.  
The way down was the exact opposite of the way up. Charles felt like a little bird, chattering away and light as air. He was back.  
“Raven!” He called as they reached the floor.  
“What?” She dashed to the stairs, and her mouth curled cruelly into a snarl when she saw Erik. “Oh dammit, Charles, are you serious?”  
“Quite,” he replied, squeezing Erik’s hand.  
“Well, I’m happy for you guys. I think you’re meant to be together,” Hank grinned, placing his hand on Raven’s shoulder.  
“Thank you, Hank,” Erik nodded.  
“Hank!” Raven squawked. “How could you?”  
“What, Raven? They’re so cute together, and look how happy Charles looks.”  
“Are you happy, Charles?”  
“So happy.”  
“Please just be careful. He looks like a shark. He might eat you...”  
“A handsome shark,” Charles laughed. “A very handsome shark indeed.”


End file.
